Nurul Syazana Fuzil, Nur Hidayati Othman, Nur Hashimah Alias, Muhammad Shafiq Mat Shayuti, Munawar Zaman Shahruddin, Fauziah Marpani, Woei Jye Lau, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Tutuk Djoko Kusworo, Sumaiya Zainal Abidin, Anwar Ul-Hamid, Norazah Abd Rahman
Effects of coating technique on the physicochemical properties and structure of MoS2-TiO2/PVDF-PES for membrane distillation application
BACKGROUND
Membrane distillation (MD) for desalination encounters significant hurdles as a result of pore wetting, leading to reduced permeate flux or deterioration in permeate quality over time. Therefore, membranes used in MD must be highly hydrophobic to prevent liquid from entering the pores and contaminating the permeate stream. In this study, a thin layer of MoS2-TiO2 composite was coated using poly (DOPA) as an adhesive to enhance attachment. Two coating methods, interlinking and layering, were compared to determine the most effective method for forming a thin hydrophobic coating layer onto PVDF-PES hollow fiber membrane.
RESULTS
Interestingly, this study revealed that increasing the number of dipping cycles led to higher flux, defying conventional expectations. This unexpected outcome is likely to have resulted from the thicker coatings creating a more hydrophobic surface, reducing water molecule adhesion and preventing wetting. Consequently, the membrane demonstrated enhanced flux despite its increased thickness. Among the membranes tested, the MoS2-TiO2/PVDF-PES membrane coated using the layering method exhibited the best performance, leading to a flux of 2.06 kg m−2 h−1 and 99.99% salt rejection. This superior performance can also be attributed to the membrane's hydrophobic properties, evident in its water contact angle (WCA) of 99°. By contrast, the interlinking method resulted in lower performance, with a permeate flux of 1.70 kg m−2 h−1 and 99.96% salt rejection, which is likely to have resulted from its lower WCA of 86°.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology(JCTB) is an international, inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal concerned with the application of scientific discoveries and advancements in chemical and biological technology that aim towards economically and environmentally sustainable industrial processes.